Saturday, May 06, 2006

Prayers for Patrick J. Kennedy

The anti-PJK hatefest continues in the blogosphere, and poor Paddy has to be feeling lower than a snake's belly about now. Having slung a bit of it myself Thursday and Friday -- hey, I'm no Wonkette, but I'm not always Ned Flanders, either -- I'm feeling a bit guilty.

But honest remorse is, I confess, mingled somewhat with self-interest. Now that the Kossacks are calling for PJK to resign from Congress, I realize we might have gone too far in hatin' on Paddy. If a Kennedy should actually resign in disgrace, this would to some extent contradict a key finding of DONKEY CONS, namely that being a Democrat is like holding the "Get Out of Jail Free" card in a monopoly game (something that seems to have occurred to Point Fiveon Thursday).

Unwittingly, PJK has been handed a weapon with which he might slay a fierce dragon, if only he'd have the good sense to use it. If Patrick Kennedy were to resign now -- he represents a safely Democratic district in Rhode Island -- he'd not only save his party embarassment in the key '06 election, but he would strike a small blow against the widespread perception that Democrats are the beneficiaries of a double standard when it comes to scandal.

I rather doubt that Paddy will actually do the right thing. When your dad is Chappaquiddick Ted, it may be that your DNA is defective, lacking the genes for humility, honesty and decency. And doing the right thing might be seen as an act of betrayal to the Democratic Party tradition embodied by Bill "The Stain" Clinton.

To a Democrat caught in scandal, the siren songs must be seductive:

Stick it out, kid. Don't be a quitter. Look at Ted -- he's a grand old man now, lecturing Supreme Court nominees on national TV. Look at Hillary -- she never misses a chance to accuse Republicans of dishonesty and malice. Whatever you've done wrong, kid, it can't be as bad as Chinagate, and look how the DNC walked away from that without a scratch. And look at you: You cashed in bigtime with the Abramoff thing, and nobody even seems to care. So dry it up, cowboy. You're a Kennedy, for crying out loud! Hang tough.

If PJK actually showed the courage necessary to reject such corrupt counsels, and told 'em all where to shove their precious little House seat, it might give hope that the Democratic Party could reform itself. Which is why the smart money says Paddy K won't step down.